Apparatus for guiding cloth into stentering-machines, mangles, or the like.



G. DURRANI.

APPARATUS FOR GUIDING CLOTH INTO STENTERING MACHINES, MANGLES, OR THE LIKE.

Patented June 20, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1913- THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHlNGTON. n. c

e. DURRANT.

APPARATUS FOR GUIDING CLOTH I NTO STENTERING. MACHINES, MANGLES, OR THE LIKE.- APPLICATION HLEB AUG. 14' 1913.

1 ,1 88,1 63 Patented June 20, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UKWM THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, 1. c

DURRANT. APPARATUS FOR GUIDING CL STENTERING MACHINES, MANGLES, OR THE LIKE.

' N FILED AUG. 14, 1913- 1 1 88 1 63 Patented June 20, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEE T 3.

THI: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,, WASHIN nnnnnnn c.

G.'DURRANT.

APPARATUS FOR GUIDING CLOTH INTO STENTERING MACHINES, MANGLES, 0R THE LIKE.

APPLICATION. FILED AUG.M| 1913. v

Patented June 20, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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GEORGE DURRANT, or MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR GUIDING CLOTH INTO STEN'I'ERING-MACHINES, MAiIGLEs, on THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1916.

Application filed August 14, 1913. Serial No. 784,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE DURRANT, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of Higher Openshaw, Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, engineer, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Guiding Cloth into Stentering-Machines, Mangles, or the like, of which the following is specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for guiding fabrics into stentering machines,rmangles, calenders or other machines where it is necessary to keep the fabric as central as possible, the object being to provide improved means fitted at each side of the aforesaidmachines at their forward end each of which will act to draw the selvage of the cloth toward itself, one device working in opposition to a certain extent to the other, or operating at a different time to the other, but always with the obj ect in view of keeping the selvage along a particular line, the devices being quite automatic in action.

My invention consists essentially of two main elements one of which is so constituted as to move in the direction of theweft of the fabric away from the center to the side of the machine though I do not confine myself to a movement in a direct line of the weft as the movable surface may have its motion at an angle to the weft but always away from the center of the machine while the other element 7 is one which may be brought into contact with one side of the cloth intermittently and as determined by the fabric itself so as to cooperate with the constantly moving element to draw the selvage of the fabric in the direction required.

Further features of my invention comprise means for operating the two elements so as to carry out the object referred to.

My invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, V

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of one form of the apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 plan of the same, also partly in section, Fig. 3 end elevation, partly in section, Fig. 4 is a detail view of the cam disk 3 and the toothed wheel a, showing the position of the flat part of the cam with respect to theprojection 21 on the toothed Wheel. Fig.

Referring to. Figs. 1 to 3 when indicate.

a device for placing atone side ofmachines of the aforesaid type and of which the device at the opposite side is similar but of" a different handI provide a suitable framework a supported upon a plain shaft I) runnmg transversely across the machine to which the devices are appliedand also supported by a screw threaded shaft 0 having a right and left hand thread which is used for the purpose of adjusting the devices transversely of the machine in accordance with the width of the fabric being dealt with. I would, however, have it understood that other means of adjustment for the purpose referred to may be adopted and in any case I do not claim the arrangement aforesaid as such features are well known. Supported in the frame a is the operating shaft d of the devices, which is driven at a constant rate from a suitable source on the main machine, and usually by the frictional conmoving element formingone of the essential features of my invention and which in this case comprises an endless chain made up of a number of links m the upper surfaces of which pass through a slot 72 so as to be flush with or a little proud of the upper surface ofa fixed plate 0 upon which one edge of the fabric being guided into the main ma chine rests and which is quite smooth to enable such fabric to move freely thereon both transversely and longitudinally of the main machine. The, chain referred to moves constantly as to its upper links for the time being always in a direction par? allel with the weft of the fabric being guided and away from the center of the machine and in conjunction with it and as forming the second essential feature of my invention I employ an element 79 which in Figs. 1 to 3 comprises one or a plurality of metal rollers q, covered with a resilient surface such as rubber, felt or the like, or fluted or roughened if desired, such rollers being arranged preferably at any suitable angle to the weft of the fabric but usually so as to tend to draw such fabric from the center of the machine and forwardly toward it. In the example shown each roller is mounted in a saddle r and is free to rotate therein, such saddle having an extended spindle s passing through and held in an arm 6 and between the saddle and the underside of such arm a spring a maybe located so as to give resiliency to the roller in an upward and downward direction and enable the whole of the rollers to rest equally upon the fabric whenrequired. The arm t is mounted upon a spindle o and has a second arm w projecting from it and carrying at its outer enda spring m or a weight the tendency of which is to normally pull the second arm downward and to raise the first arm with its rollers away from the fabric.

In conjunction with the aforesaid two elements I provide means for determinlng automatically when the movable element shall come in contact with the fabric. In Figs. 1 to 3 I employ a shaft y on which is mounted a toothed wheel a driven from a toothed wheel 2 mounted upon the shaft it so as to drive shaft 3 at a constant rate and mounted on the same shaft as the wheel a is a cam or disk 3 one portion of which is cylindrical as at 4 while the other is slightly conical as at 5, the cylindrical portion 4: having also at one part of its periphery a flat or indented portion. Located above the disk 3 and on the arm 10 is an anti-friction roller or bowl 6 to cooperate with the disk.

The mechanism just referred to is used in conjunction with a feeler lever 7 which normally falls toward the fabric passing over the plate 0, such lever being pivoted at 8 and having coupled to it the upper end of a link 9 the lower end of which is coupled to a catch 10 pivoted at 11. Below the catch 10 and supported on the frame a is a pivoted bell crank lever 12 one arm of which is free while the other arm is coupled to a rod 13 slidable in bearings 1 1 on the frame a, such rod having fixed to it one end of an arm 15 the other end of which passes around the boss between the disk 3 and the wheel 2, the two latter parts being capable of sliding longitudinally upon the shaft on which they are mounted and to carry out such movement 1 pivot at 16 to the frame a an arm 17 having upstanding from ita bowl 18 and likewise being formed. with a slot 19 through which passes a stud 20 on the arm 15. The wheel a is formed with a cam projection 21 which as the wheel rotates comes once in every revolution in contact with the bowl 18 so moving the arm 17 and through the stud 20 the arm 15 and rod 13 which thereby gives a reciprocating movement to the bell crank below the catch 10. The projection 21 on the toothed wheel a is arranged relatively to the flat part 40 of the cam disk 3 so that the cam disk is normally reciprocated longi tudinally of its shaft by the arm 15 without actuating the roller 6 which is journaled on the arm w. So long as the feeler lever 7 is held up by the fabric passing beneath it the catch 10 is clear of the reciprocating bell crank and at the same time the arm 25 is likewise held up so that the rollers q are out of contact with the fabric but when the latter recedes from the lever 7 the catch 10 is lowered into the path of the bell crank lever 12 so causing it to be held along with the arm 15 in a position toward the right hand so that the cylindrical portion 4; of the disk 3 is brought immediately beneath the bowl 6. Such cylindrical portion is brought beneath the bowl at eachreciprocation of the disk but the fiat portion on the part 41 is of suflicient length to allow the disk to pass back to the left without affecting the position of the arm t providing the fabric is beneath the feeler lever, but, as aforesaid, when the cloth is absent and the parts referred to are held in the right hand position then the disk 3 rotates beneath the bowl 6 and lifts up the arm on which it is mounted and so forces the arm t downward to bring the rollers Q in contact with the fabric and such rollers cooperating with the endless chain draw the fabric from the center of the main machine to the left until it passes under the feeler lever again when the catch 10 is lifted, the bell crank disengaged and the rod 13, arm 15 and disk 3 returned to their normal positions with the bowl 6 over the conical portion of the disk 3. The arm 15 and its attendant parts are brought back toward the left by the influence of a spring 22 connected to it and to a stationary part of the frame a. It will, therefore, be understood that the operations referred to are carried out automatically and the movable element 3? brought into action intermittently in accordance with the position of the cloth with relation to the feeler lever.

I claim- 1. In a cloth guiding machine, the combination, with an endless carrier belt adapted to stretch the cloth laterally, of a series of presser rollers arranged diagonally of the carrier belt and parallel to each other, each roller being movable vertically independent of the others, operating mechanism for moving all the rollers simultaneously to press the cloth against the said belt, and feeler mechanism which engages with the cloth and controls the said operating mechanism automatically.

2. In a clothgniding machine, the combination, with a supporting table for the cloth, said table having an opening, and an endless carrier belt adapted to stretch the cloth laterally, and having its upper stretch arranged in the said opening of a series of presser rollers arranged diagonally of the carrier belt and parallel to each other, each roller being movable vertically independent of the others, operating mechanism for moving all the rollers simultaneously to ress the cloth against the said belt, and ieeler mechanism which engages with the cloth and controls the said operating mechanism automatically.

3. In a cloth guiding machine, the combination, with an endless carrier belt adapted to stretch the cloth laterally, of a pivoted arm arranged over the carrier belt, pressing devices carried by the arm and adapted to press the cloth against the carrier belt, a revoluble cam for operating the pivoted arm, feeler mechanism which engages with the cloth and controls the movements of the pivoted arm automatically, driving devices for normally reciprocating the cam longitudinally of its axis without permitting it to operate the pivoted arm, and catch mechanism operatively connected with the feeler mechanism and adapted to prevent the cam from being moved longitudinally in one direction when the feeler mechanism is not engaged by the cloth, whereby the said cam is retained in a position to operate the pivoted arm and depress the pressing devices.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE DURRANT. WVitnesses:

WILLIAM HENRY TAYLOR, AMY EVELINE EVINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C." 

